Photo Credit: IJSPT
Dry needling is a commonly utilized Physical Therapy intervention which can effectively reduce pain, improve pain, and improved muscle performance. Physical Therapists aim to treat trigger points or knots in the muscles thought to either cause pain or limit mobility. In the majority of cases, dry needling leads to an immediate improvement in range of motion, pain, and performance.
A recent article examined calf dry needling effect on functional movements including the vertical jump. Bandy and colleagues examined 35 healthy adults and tested their vertical jumps before and after a dynamic vertical jump. As expected the group receiving dry needling significantly improved their vertical jump after the dry needling treatment over the placebo group. This study adds to the literature supporting the use of dry needling for improvement quality of movement and performance.
To learn more on how dry needling can help decrease your symptoms and improve your performance contact your local Physical Therapy clinic.